WMTW News 8's Tracy Sabol meets with Maine doctors to discuss the factors for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, and the ways it can be prevented.

WMTW News 8's Tracy Sabol meets with Maine doctors to discuss the factors for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, and the ways it can be prevented.

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Updated: 7:16 PM EDT Apr 8, 2015

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WEBVTT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 60'S TOSTART NEXT WEEK.TRACY:IT IS SOMETIMES REFERREDTO AS THE SILENT KILLER BECAUSETHERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS AND ITCOULD BE DAMAGING YOUR BODYWITHOUT YOU EVEN KNOWING IT.IN THIS MONTH'S HEART HEATH 8,WE TAKE A LOOK AT HYPERTENSION,ALSO KNOWN AS HIGH BLOODPRESSURE, AND WHAT YOU NEED TOKNOW.HOW ARE YOU?WE WILL START WITH TAKING YOURBLOOD PRESSURE.HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE CAN CAUSEA LOT OF PROBLEMS, MAKING YOURHEART MUSCLE GET THICKER.IT CAN AFFECT YOUR KIDNEYS ANDALL OF THE BLOOD VESSELS IN YOURBODY.HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS A RISKFACTOR FOR HEART ATTACK ANDSTROKE.TRACY: DR. CHRISTINEBLAKE SAYSTHE BIGGEST RISK FACTOR FORHYPERTENSION IS GENETIC.SHE SAYS THERE ARE OTHERCONTRIBUTOR FACTORS.YOUR DIET, AMOUNT OF SALT.EXERCISE LEVEL.HOW ACTIVE YOU ARE STAYING INGENERAL.KEEPING YOUR WEIGHT IN A NORMALRANGE IS IMPORTANT.AS PEOPLE GAIN WEIGHT, BLOODPRESSURE GOES UP.TRACY: WHAT IS CONSIDERED HIGHBLOOD PRESSURE?TO START TREATING HIGH BLOODPRESSURE AT 140 ON THE TOP AND90 ON THE BOTTOM.TRACY: THE IDEAL NUMBER IS 120OVER 70.WHEN YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE ISNORMAL, IT REDUCES YOUR RISK OFSTROKE AND HELPS TO IMPROVE YOURVISION.STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT FORPEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 60, YOUCAN EXTEND YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCYBY ABOUT FIVE YEARS IF YOU KEPTYOUR BLOOD PRESSURE AT A NORMALRANGE.TRACY: GOOD TO KNOW.DOCTORS ALSOSUGGEST YOUMAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT, LIMITALCOHOL INTAKE, EXERCISEREGULARLY, AND EAT A HEALTHYDIET WHILE REDUCING YOUR SALTINTAKE.

Heart Health 8: Hypertension

WMTW News 8's Tracy Sabol meets with Maine doctors to discuss the factors for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, and the ways it can be prevented.